Purpose -This study aims to examine seven challenging schools in the US and the practices their principals employed in leading these schools to a measure of success in terms of student performance. Design/methodology/approach -Uses a case study methodology, a two-stage framework is used to analyze the data. First, uses Leithwood and Riehl's three core leadership practices to determine whether these leaders were demonstrating the necessary practices for success, then develops and describes three principles that enabled these leaders to translate their core practices into school success: accountability, caring and learning. Findings -The principals formed a diverse group, varying in gender, race, experience and education. But they shared some common characteristics, most notably, all seven demonstrated facility with the core leadership practices of direction setting, developing people and redesigning the organization. They were leaders who managed to set and maintain a sense of purpose and direction for their schools and generally exerted a positive influence on people's willingness to follow their lead, even in the face of challenging conditions. Originality/value -Provides recommendations for the preparation and practice of school leaders.

Purpose: The purpose is to examine how recent conservative cultural political shifts have affected the meanings of curriculum leadership in schools.

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This study examined the beliefs and practices of three principals during whose tenure their high-poverty urban elementary schools experienced improved student achievement. A two-stage, multiple case-study methodology was employed. First, New York State Education Department (NYSED) school report card data were analyzed to identify case-study sites. Three high-need elementary schools whose student achievement scores improved after the arrival of the current principal were selected for study. Next, a multiperspective interview protocol was utilized to triangulate the perceptions of the administrators, teachers, members of support staffs, parents, and students at each of the three sites to understand how their respective principal contributed to the school's success. Findings revealed that all three principals responded to the challenges of their high-poverty communities by establishing safe, nurturing environments for children and adults; setting high expectations for student performance, and holding everyonestudents, faculty, staff, parents, and themselves-accountable for meeting those expectations. Although different in personal style, all three set clear directions for the school and then influenced members of the school community to begin moving in that direction, in great measure by modeling the behaviors and practices they desired. The article concludes with recommendations about the preparation and practices of school leaders who serve or aspire to serve in high-need communities.

This article presents a general theoretical framework for curriculum studies, Didaktik and educational leadership that builds upon strengths and limitations of these traditions, respectively, in Europe and the United States. Methodologically, a meta-theoretical level is used with two guiding core questions: (1) the relation between education and society and (2) the nature of educational influence on the interactive level. On the first question, a nonhierarchical position is defended as it offers a foundation for discursive institutionalism valuable for understanding school work. The second question is handled by three classic education concepts Á recognition, summoning to self-activity and Bildsamkeit, as these support a non-affirmative view of educational influence for democratic education. We conclude that this theoretical framework allows us to more coherently conceptualise curriculum work, educational leadership and teaching.